Dispensing valve



April 14, 1953 J. E. HORNER v 2,634,753

DISPENSING VALVE Filed April 25, 195o INVENTOR.

'Jzc ifo/Wer W WLf Patented pr. i4, ri953i oFFlcE DISPENSING VALVE Jack E. Horner, Bellevue, Pa., assigner to Edgar E. Horner, Pittsburgh, Pa.

Application April 25, 1950, Serial No. 157,944

6 Claims. 1

My invention relates generally to an improved dispensing valve for selectively intermixing two streams of fluid, and more particularly to a valve for selectively introducing one fluid food product into another, such as for example introducing ice cream, flavoring, or sherbet, into soft ice cream. By the term iluid food product I mean a food product of the type which may be pumped or otherwise propelled through a line for discharge from a dispensing valve.

lThe principal object of the present invention Y is to provide a dispensing valve by means of which an operator may selectively introduce one fluid substance into another. For example, my dispensing valve may be used to discharge soft ice cream either with or without a avoring intermixed therewith, at the option of the operator of the valve.

Another important object of this invention is to provide a dispensing valve which can be quickly'and easily taken apart for cleaning, and hence may be easily maintained sanitary.

Another object of my invention is to provide a dispensing Valve of strong and durable construction, and which is characterized by dependable operation.

According to the invention, a valve body having a bore therein is provided with a Valve member rotatable in the bore to open and close a first inlet passageway. The bore serves as the primary discharge or extrusion tube through which one of the fluid substances is discharged. A second inlet passageway opens into the bore, and is provided with its own closure valve. The apparatus is further equipped with actuating mechanism for the valve in said second passageway, while the rotatable valve member is provided with means for selectively engaging the actuating mechanism to open said valve in said second passageway when the valve member is turned to open the rst inlet passageway. It is through the second inlet passage that the second iluid substance is introduced into the stream of the first substance owing through the bore in the valve body. In a preferred embodiment of my invention, a plurality of secondary inlet passageways communicate with the bore of the valve body, each passageway being used to introduce a different flavoring, etc., into the first mentioned fluid substance. In this embodiment, a valve and actuating mechanism therefor are provided for each secondary inlet passageway, and the rotatable valve member is constructed such that whenever the first inlet passageway is open, one of the valve actuating mechanisms may be actuated.

disclosed, reference is had to the accompanying drawing which illustrates several forms of dis-v pensing valves embodying the foregoing andv such other principles, advantages or capabilities as may be pointed out as this description proceeds, or as are inherentv in the present invention. For purposes of clarity in exposition, the following description is explicit, and the accompanying drawing is detailed, but it is distinctly to be understood that said exposition is illustrative only, and that my invention is not re-f stricted to the particular details recited in the specification or shown in the drawing.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a front view of a rst embodiment' of my invention, taken in central cross section;

Figure 2 is a bottom view taken in section on the line 2--2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a plan view taken in section on theline 3 3 of Figure 1; and

Figure 4 is a front view taken in section andv showing a valve and valve actuating mechanism comprising a portion of a second embodiment ofv my invention.

Like reference characters designate like partsv in the drawing and in the description of my in-A vention which follows.

Referring now to the drawing, and more particularly to the embodiment of Figure 1, the reference numeral I0 indicates generally a valve body, which has a bore II extending therethrough. A cap indicated generally by the nu-j meral I2 iits over the upper end of the valvel body IIl, and includes a valve sleeve I3 which extends downwardly into the bore I I, and a handle I4 by means of which the cap I2 is turned. As shown in Figure 3, the valve sleeve I3 has two ports I5 and I6 substantially diametrically opposite each other, hence each of the ports I5 and I6 may be registered with the inlet passageway I'If the bore II between the valve sleeve I3 and the; discharge nozzle 24 at the lower end of the valve' body I0. The inlet passageway 25 of the nozzle 22 communicates with the bore 26, which opens out of the valve body I0 beneath the cap I2. The

bore 2B in turn connects with the chamber 21 to A supply conduit I8 is connected torthe form a shoulder 28. A plug valve 29 having a sealing plug 30 thereon seats against the shoulder 28, and is normally held in this position by the spring 3I within the chamber 2l. A screw type plug 32 closes the lower end of the chamber 2l', the washer 33 providing a fluid seal at this point. A supply conduitI 34 is connected to` the inlet 35 in the boss '36. A clean out plug 3l pierces the valve body I in alignment with the nozzle 22, so that the inlet passageway 25 therein may be cleaned.

Extending upwardly from the valve '29 is a valve stem 38, which is moved downwardly upon depression of the push rod 39 slidable in the bore 26. The push rod 39 normally extends above the valve body I5, and to provide clearance for this extended end portion the cap I2 includes a circular groove 43 (Figure 2). Referring again to Figure l, the push rod 39 may be moved downwardlybymeansof a tappet @I slidably mounted in vthe cap I2. A lever 42 fits within the recess 43 of the handle I4 and is pivoted to `said handle by the pivot fastener l (Figure 2). A pin l5 extends through the upper portion of the tappet 4I, and is removably engaged by the yoke .4E of the Vlever 42. A spring lll is positioned between the outer end of the lever t2, and the handle I4, to vmaintain the tappet 41| normally in the up position shown in Figure 1.

.Positioned approximately 180 degrees from the 'bore 26, is a second bore t, which communicates with the inlet passageway 9 of the nozzle 23. A valve 50 having a sealing member 5I thereon, is positioned within the chamber V52, and seats against the shoulder 53 thereof. A spring 5H is anchored to the screw type plug 55, to hold the valve normally in the closed position. The washer 56 provides a seal between the plug 55 and the valve body H). A supply conduit 5l communicates with the chamber 52 through the inlet 58 in the boss 59. A clean out plug 55 penetrates the valve body Illv to the bore @8, and is in alignment with the inlet passageway 49. yTo operate the valve 50, a push rod 6i is positioned in the 'bore 48, in engagement with the valve stem 52.

As best shown in Figure 2, a stop pin 53 extends upwardly from the valve body Iii between the bores 26 and 48. Anrarcuate recess 66 is formed inthe cap I2 to one side of the circular groove 40 to provide clearance for the stop pin 63, and includes two stop surfaces 65 and 56 at the opposite ends thereof.

While it will be apparent that -my dispensing valve may be used lto dispense a wide variety of substances, for purposes of illustration I Adescribe below Athe operation of my device as used to selectively introduce one of two different avoring liquids into soft ice cream paste. With the apparatus in the position shownV inFigures 1-3, the inlet passageway Il is open to the bore II through the port I5 inthe valve sleeve I3, while the tappet AI is positioned over the push rodl 33. The -supply conduit I8 is connected to a supply of 'soft ice cream which is under pressure; hence the ice -cream flows through the passageway H into the bore I I. n that bore it flows downward, around the projecting nozzles 22 and 23. The supply conduit 313 is connected to a supply of avoring, such as for example chocolate sirup, which is also under pressure. As long as the push rod 39 is in the vposition shown, however, the spring l'39 maintains the sealing member Sil against the shoulder 28';` hence no avoring *canA now into the inlet 4passageway 25. 'By squeezing the handle lli, however, the operator moves the tappet 4I downwardly, and depresses the push rod 39, thereby opening the valve 29 and permitting a flow of avoring through the passageway into the body of soft ice cream which is being extruded down the bore I I. This produces a soft ice cream having the variegated cross sectional pattern known in the trade as ripple fiavoring. However, as mentioned previously, the 'operator can control the flow of the flavoring into the basic flow of soft ice cream, so that if desired no flavoringis entra-ined in the discharged ice cream. To close the valve, the operator merely swings the handle l@ in a counterclockwise direction, as viewed in 'Figure 2, toward the position indicated at a. This rotates the valve sleeve I3 to close off the inlet passageway Il. Moreover, as soon as the tappet @I moves to one side of the push rod 39, the compressed spring 3l automatically seats the valve Y3,0 against'the shoulder 23. Upon releasing the handle Id, thespring d1 4reacts against the lever d2 to Vmove lthe tappet I112| into the position shown inFigure r1.

,Advantageously the supply conduit 57 may :be connected to a supply 0f a different .flavoring from that which is `dispensed through @the 4nozzle 22. Thus, for example, a supply of 'strawberry sirup might be connected to the conduit 5l.

. 'Upon rotating the .handle It vcounterclockwiseto inlet passageway Il; Vhence ice cream flows `into the bore II. Upon squeezing the handle 15,4390 move the tappet 5i downwardly, thesealing member 5I is moved away from the shoulder 53, so that the flavoring discharges Yfrom the .nozzle 223 into the downwardly moving Vstream of rice cream.

.Advantageouslm as thehandle Iii is moved fto either side of the position a to discharge ic'e cream, the stop surfaces E5 or 55 engage the lstop pin 63, to align accurately the handle I4 .in the desired position. By means of kmy apparatus, therefore, it becomes a simple task for the foperator to manipulate the valve to dischargee'ither plain ice cream, or ice cream containing :either of two different flavors.

The embodiment of Figures 1-`3 also 'may be taken apart in a few minutes time, and easily cleaned, this feature being particularly desirable when the valve is used to dispense food products, such as ice cream Aand other dairy products.

v More particularly, the valve may be disassembled,

i andall working parts thereof easily cleaned, "by

, provide a `means for brushing and cleaning the inlet passageway/s '25 and'Q in the nozzles 22 and 23. If'desired, the entire cap assembly I2 may be disassembled, by unscrewing the pivot fastener M, since this permits sliding the @yoke Y il@ from the pin d5, after which the tappet 4I may be removed from the cap I2. After the various components of Ymy dispensing 'Valve Y'have been cleaned, the entire device maybe reassembled in the reverse order. By making the components -of -the valve out vof 'material vsuch as' Monel metal, a nickel-copper alloy, or other ncmcorroding materials, my dispensing 'valve may be maintained strictly sanitary with little effort.

Figure 4 shows a second embodiment of my invention, in which the avoring flowing into the bore il `does not come in contact with the valve seating spring. More particularly, this embodiment comprises connecting the bore El in the valve body 58 with a tapered portion 69, which in turn connects with the chamber 1G. A tapered valve member 'il is adapted to seat in the tapered portion 69, and is normally held in this position by the spring 72, which is anchored to the plug 13 closing the bottom of the chamber 10. A washer itl provides a Seal at this jointure. With the tapered valve member 'll in the position shown in Figure 4, no iiavoring can flow from the supply conduit 'l5 to the inlet passageway i6 oi the nozzle 11. Upon moving the push rod 39 downwardly, however, against the stem 'i8 extending upwardly from the valve member li, said member 7| is deflected to the position shown in dotted outline in Figure 4. When this occurs, the flavoring flows around the stem 18 and into the inlet passageway 16, whence it is discharged into the ice cream moving down the bore l I. As soon as the downward pressure on the push rod 3S is released, the compressed spring 'i2 returns the valve member 7l to the position shown in full line in Figure 4.

While there may be a slight leakage of iluid around the tapered valve member 'il into the chamber '15, when said member Il is deflected downwardly, this escaped fluid remains in the chamber 'lil and cannot return to the inlet passageway 7S. By merely unscrewing the plug I3 and uncoupling the supply conduit i5 from the body 68, all of the working parts shown can be easily removed for cleaning.

Having thus fully disclosed by novel dispensing valve, and demonstrated its utility by reference to certain specic embodiments thereof, I claim as my invention:

1. Apparatus for selectively introducing flavoring into soft ice cream or the like, comprising: a valve body having a circular bore therethrough, a first inlet passageway opening into said bore between the two ends thereof, a rotatable cap on said valve body over one end of said bore, said cap including a handle for turning said cap and a valve sleeve extending into said bore to cover said inlet passageway, said sleeve having two ports therein substantially diametrically opposite each other and each registrable with said inlet passageway upon turning said cap, a second and a third inlet passageway opening into said bore between said valve sleeve and the other end of said bore, each of said inlet passageways spaced approximately 90 degrees from and on opposite sides of said rst inlet passageway, two valves, each of said valves in a diierent one of said second and third passageways, two push rods normally extending from said valve body beneath said cap, each of said push rods drivably connected to a different one of said two valves to open said valve when depressed, spring means urging said push rods toward said cap, said cap having an arcuate groove therein to provide clearance for the extended ends of said push rods as said cap is rotated, a tappet in said cap positioned to be in alignment with one of said push rods when one of said ports in said valve sleeve is in register with said first inlet passageway, a hand lever pivotally secured to said handle and extending therefrom, said lever drivably connected to said tappet to move said tappet toward said valve when said hand leve'r is moved toward said handle, and spring means between said handle and said lever urging the latter away from said handle.

2. A sanitary knock-down dispensing valve for selectively introducing a uid substance into a fluid food product, comprising: a valve body having a first circulator bore extending therethrough,.

a rst inlet passageway opening into said bore between the two ends thereof, a rotatable cap on said valve body over one end of said bore, said cap including a handle for turning said cap and a valve sleeve extending into saidbore to cover said inlet passageway, said sleeve having a port therein registrable with said inlet passage upon turning said cap, a nanged collar removably securing said cap on said valve body, a second inlet passageway opening into said bore between said valve sleeve and the other end of said bore, said valve body having a second circular bore therein comprising a first portion which communicates with said second inlet passageway and opens out of said valve body beneath said cap, and a second portion of enlarged diameter having an inlet therein, said rst and second portions forming a shoulder at the intersection thereof, a valve in said second portion of `said second bore, a removable plug closing the open end of said second portion, a spring between said plug and second valve to seat the latter against said shoulder, a stem extending from said valve into said rst portion of said second bore, a push rod in said iirst portion normally extending from said valve body, said cap having a groove therein to clear the extended end of said push rod upon turning said cap, and means on said cap for depressing said push rod in said second bore when said port in said valve sleeve is in register with said first inlet passageway.

3. A sanitary knock-down dispensing valve for selectively introducing a fluid substance into a fluid food product, comprising: a valve body having a first circular bore extending therethrough, a rst inlet passageway opening into said bore between the two ends thereof, a rotatable cap on said valve body over one end of said bore, said cap including a handle for turning said cap and a valve sleeve extending into said bore 'to cover said inlet passageway, said sleeve having a port therein registrable with said inlet passageway upon turning said cap, a flanged collar removably securing said cap on said valve body, a second inlet passageway opening into said bore between said valve sleeve and the other end of said bore, said valve body having a second circular bore therein comprising a first portion which opens out of said valve body beneath said cap, a second portion of enlarged diameter, and a tapered portion which interconnects said rst and second portions and intersects said second inlet passageway, a valve member including a tapered portion which mates with said tapered portion of said second bore to close said second inlet passageway, a removable plug closing the open end of said second portion of said second bore, a spring between said plug and said valve member'to seat the latter in said tapered portion, a push rod in said rst portion normally extending from said valve body, a stem between said push rod and said tapered portion of said valve member, said cap having a groove therein to clear the extended end of said push rod upon turning of said cap, and means on said cap for depressing said push rod in said secin. register with said; inlet passageway.

e; Apparatusfo'r selectively introducing a first.

iiuid substance into a secondv iiuid` substance, comprising: a valve body havingv a circular bore therethrough, a. rst inlet passageway' opening intosaid bore between the two ends thereof, a rotatable cap. on, said valve body over one end offs'aid; borer said. cap including a handle for turning. said. cap and a valve sleeve extending into-.said bore to cover said inlet passageway, said sleeve having a port Atherein registrable with said; inlet. passageway upon turning said cap, a secondinlet: passageway opening into said bore between saidvalve sleeve and the other end of said bore, a valve in said second. passageway, a valvek actuating: member in said valve body and dr-iyably. connected. to said valve, a tappet in said. cap positioned to be in alignment with said valveactuating member when said port in said valvetsleeve is in. register with said first inlet.

passageway, a lever pivotally mounted on said handle and drivably connected to said tappet, said. lever being. deflectable to move said tappet to engage said valve actuating member for openingsaid valveand'means normally holding said valve andsaid valve actuating member in the closedposition until said lever is deiiected.

5. Apparatusv for selectively introducing flavoring into ice cream, comprising a valve body with. al substantially smooth cylindrical bore therethrough to provide a mixing passagewayv and a.substantially, similar bore opening into saidpmixing passagewaybetween the two ends thereof tozprovidea rstzinlet passageway, forY ice. cream; a rotatable cap on said valve body over one end.. of said mixing passageway, said cap: including a handle for turning said cap and a valvesleeve extending into said mixing pas-.

sagewayn tof coverl said inlet.. passageway, said sleeve havinga port therein .registrabie with said inletpassageway .upon turning said cap; at least oneraidditional but smaller inlet passageway, for iiavoring; liquid, opening into said mixing passagewaybetween said valve sleeve and the: other end; of; the mixing passageway; a plug valve inv said additional ipassageway, an actuating member for` and. dri-vably. connected to said plug valve;.a tappetinsaid cap, positioned to be in alignment; with saidactuating, member when sadport in said valvesleeve is Vin register. with said? iirs't: inlet passageway'a'. lever pivotally? mounted on saidhandle. and drivablyconnected tosaid tappet, said lever being deflectable to move said tappet to engage said. valve actuating member forY opening saidplugvalve; and means normally holding said plug valver'and. the ac;- tuating member thereof in the closed position until said lever is deiiected.

6. Apparatus for selectively introducing fla.- voring into ice cream, comprising a valve bodyl having a first, substantially smooth cylindrical bore therethrough, for mixing, a second, substantially similar bore opening into the first bore between the two ends thereof, for ice cream; a third bore and passageway, for iiavoring, ending in a cylindrical nozzle projecting into saidi'lrst` bore between the ends thereof, at a pointremo-tefrom the end of the second bore along theaxis-V of the first bore, a rotatable cap on said' valvev body over one end ofY said first bore, said cap-i-n cluding a handle for turning saidlcap and a valve sleeve extending into said rst bore to cover said second bore but not said third one; said sleeve having a port therein registrable with said" inlet passageway upon turning said cap; a valvein said third passageway; a vaive actuating member in said valve body driv-ably connectedi to'said valve; a tappet in said cap positioned to be in alignment with said valve actuating mem ber when said port in said valve sleeve is in-reg. ister with said secondV bore; a lever pivotally mounted on said handle and drivably connected to said tappet, said lever being deflectable to move said tappet to engage Vsaid valve actuating member for opening said valve; and means nor-- mally holding said valve andnsaid valve actuating member in the closed position until said lever is deflected.

.FACE E. HORNER.

Beierences Cited in the file ofthis patent UNTTED STATES PATENTS Number Name DateY 1,536,854 Holderle May 5, 1925; 1,827,555 Bolton e Oct: 13, 193l FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date.

64,414 Sweden of 19252 

